Who we are

Sally and Adelaide (Directors)

Having studied music and psychology, and ethnomusicology, Adelaide now teaches strings at her home and in various schools. Passionate about good quality community music and its social benefits, she founded and directs Milnathort Youth String Orchestra and Cantie Choir. Adelaide enjoys arranging music for string groups, and for choirs, and she finds amazing human connection and inspiration through the natural voice and unaccompanied choral harmony. Her biggest passion is PFMC which she founded with her parents in 2005
Co-founder and music director Sally Anne Anderson plays violin with the Royal Liverpool Phil, and is Lead Musician for In Harmony Liverpool. She has created many resources to support her style of teaching including two series of books, ‘Tune Up!’ and ‘Sticks & Blobs’. Sally coaches at the NCO having been a member as a child. As faculty member of The Till Project, Sally is enthusiastically developing ways for teaching healthy string playing. PFMC is an annual highlight for her and Sally especially enjoys conducting the camp orchestra using techniques that allow children to feel the music from the inside out.

Holly Jager

Holly is a primary school teacher and is passionate about allowing children to be their authentic selves. Holly has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to working with children who have additional needs.
Since summer 2025, Holly has gone global, with an exciting new role joining the leadership team in an international school in Thailand. Thankfully, her holidays mean she can still maintain her integral role as part of PFMC’s administrative team, and as head of the pastoral team for PFMC. Holly is an excellent team manager who works hard year round to ensure a happy and fulfilled team of staff as camp gets underway.

Meghan Perry

Meghan is on the co-founding team. She plays cello in various chamber groups and orchestras across Edinburgh.
Meghan is also an Infectious Diseases Consultant with the NHS. In a crossover between her two passions, Meghan devised a historical musical called The Mould that Changed the World (one of whose songs was a hit at a previous PFMC!) This important show has gone on to have major success both in the UK and the US.
Meghan is also a hill climber, and a keen wild swimmer and camper.

Ceri Pearmain

Ceri Pearmain is also on the co-founding team. She is a violinist and pianist, teaching peripatetically and privately along the Welsh-English border. She leads her local orchestra, and has coached chamber music and choir at PFMC since its beginnings. Ceri creates fantastic choir arrangements and regularly produces epic performances from the PFMC choir.
She is a keen gardener, expert camper, and pretty fierce ultimate frisbee player.
Ceri is a secondary school history teacher too, and has amassed lots of experience working with teenagers both at home and at school!

Grace Dale

Grace Dale is a pianist, clarinetist, guitarist, accompanist and choir leader, studying community music up to postgraduate level at Aberdeen and Glasgow.
Grace set up and facilitated regular choir sessions for the homeless across Scotland, and has delivered music and songwriting workshops for people with additional needs and people in prisons. Grace teaches piano in Glasgow and plays in ceilidh bands around Scotland.
She excels at creating team spirit, whether she is running our amazing annual ceilidh, or, in chamber groups, enabling our youngest musicians to shine.

PFMC TEAM

Clarey and Barney Wrightson

*Owners of the Walled Garden offering forest school, expeditions, logistics and support*
With careers in costume, floristry, gardening, film, woodland management and teaching, Clarey and Barney are driven by a desire to put fun and creativity back into learning. Passionate about the great outdoors they are love to share the beautiful space they call home with others by developing workshops, courses and forest school sessions for all ages.
www.we-are-wild.co.uk.

Olly Blackman PFMC & PFMC+

*Percussion coach, Jazz Band Leader, PFMC & PFMC+*
Olly Blackman is a drummer/composer/arranger who studied at Guildhall and has been working as a freelance musician, MD and educator since.
Olly performs, arranges and writes for Hackney Colliery Band, a nine-piece brass and percussion band who have released several critically acclaimed albums.
He has toured extensively with HCB throughout the UK and Europe.
When not performing, Olly directs the Wandsworth Jazz Orchestra, a big band featuring the talents of young jazz musicians attending the Wandsworth Music Academy. Olly’s percussion workshops at PFMC are legendary!

Rosamund Hawkins PFMC

*Viola, chamber music coach*
Rosamund is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and has worked with the In Harmony Liverpool programme,. She teaches violin and viola to pupils of all ages, taking a music-driven approach with inspiration from the Kodaly, Dalcroze and Sophie Till methods.
Rosamund lives in Manchester and leads a busy freelance orchestral and chamber music career, and is excited to be joining the PFMC staff team once again!

Anton Clarke-Butler PFMC+

*Clarinet and chamber music coach*
Anton is a graduate from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire who performs and tours with a number of UK professional ensembles such as BBC National Orchestra of Wales, English Touring Opera, Ulster Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia and regularly at the Proms with Chineke! Orchestra. He has also performed chamber works with the London Symphony Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Anton has performed in many contemporary music projects, for the BBC Radio 3 New Music Show and the Beijing Modern Music Festival.
Anton is a keen educator and he has held posts with the Junior Royal College of Music, Nucleo, Warwick school. the National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain, Sistema, Orchestras for All and the Royal Academy of Music outreach programme.

Ben Cashell PFMC+

*Cello and chamber music coach*
Ben Cashell studied cello at the Yehudi Menuhin School and later at the Royal Northern College of Music. He is an extremely versatile musician, equally at home playing classical, pop and folk.
Ben has played at many prestigious venues including Wigmore Hall, Glastonbury and Celtic Connections. He specialises in chamber music, having founded the RNCM Cello Ensemble, the Herbert Cello Quartet and the Cashell Piano Trio.
Ben is passionate about the education of young musicians - over the last seven years, he has taught dozens of young cellists through the In Harmony programs with Opera North and In the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. He also teaches at Stockport Grammar School and Yorkshire Young Musicians.

Sophie Till PFMC+

*Violin, chamber music coach, Till clinics and masterclasses.*
Violinist Sophie Till’s teaching has become internationally known for solving playing-related injuries among professional orchestral musicians. She has delivered numerous workshops, lecture series’ and symposiums for professionals, teachers and students in the U.S, U.K, Singapore and Australia and was a keynote speaker for the Australian String Teachers Conference.
Sophie makes annual visits to the U.K working with members of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and the BBC Orchestras. Working in tandem with children and young people aged 4-18 at home and with professional players internationally has resulted in a new children’s pedagogy now being used in schools and string programs internationally.

Abigail Hammett PFMC+

*Viola, chamber music coach*
Abi is a Violist from South Wales who freelances with chamber groups and orchestras in the UK and Ireland.

Abi is currently Junior Fellow in Viola at the Royal Northern College of Music and is a founding member of the Treske Quartet. Through playing with the quartet she's performed at Wigmore Hall, Conway Hall and the Banff Centre of Music in Canada and has had residencies at RNCM and the Royal Irish Conservatoire in Dublin.

Abi loves spending as much time as possible in nature and is so excited to joining the PFMC staff this summer.

Ian Sankey PFMC+

*Brass and chamber music coach*
Ian Sankey is a musician and trombone player based in the North East of England.
He has performed with numerous award-winning ensembles and orchestras, including Royal Northern Sinfonia, Cologne Chamber Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra and Northumberland Radical Fun Group. Ian also toured Britain and Ireland with Surge Scotland’s street theatre show ‘Beautiful Bones’. Ian has collaborated with composer Joe Snape - working on a large format piece for trombone and electronics as part of the Glasshouse International Centre for Music’s Foundry Residency.

Benjamin Lee

Benjamin Lee is a violinist, teacher and media producer based in Gateshead. He trained at Royal College of Music, and is a violin and piano teacher in schools as well as at his own teaching studio at home. Benjamin was Programme Leader of the "Step Up" (intermediate) programme at Sage Gateshead from 2014-2023. He also teaches students from Newcastle and Durham Universities. Recording credits include singles for Ella Henderson and Cat Burns, Fortnite (the game), Adele and Arctic Monkeys among several others! Benjamin has appeared as a soloist with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and regularly guests with Royal Northern Sinfonia as well as spending weekends with bands and DJs in Toon! When not making music, he's happiest on a yoga mat, on a pair of skis or bobbing about in the sea by his hometown of Eastbourne.

Zoe Neave PFMC

*Support Team, percussion*
Zoë started playing drum kit aged 10 and once she moved into high school she also picked up tuned percussion. Playing in various ensembles, in combination with pit orchestra opportunities in musical theatre, allowed her to broaden her percussive skills. Zoë is in her final year of high school and will be studying maths and computing at Edinburgh Uni in the autumn.

Michelle Stanley PFMC, PFMC+

*Support team, Flute, Double Bass*
Michelle is a secondary music teacher who loves getting young people to explore their creativity. She is especially interested in community music and music outreach, ensuring as many young people as possible have the chance to explore their musicality. She is always exploring new genres and keen to learn something new!
Outside of the classroom Michelle loves being outdoors, especially wild swimming.

Lia Gourlay Gerrard PFMC, PFMC+

Support team. Guitar

Lia is a proficient guitarist, guitar teacher and singer/songwriter. Lia has played and been involved with music for a long time and used to attend PFMC when she was younger!

Lia is co founder of the band Marigold, along with fellow PFMC team meamber Lola. Lia is studying Theatre at the University of Glasgow.

Ben Price PFMC+

Support Team co-lead, well-being
Ben is a medical doctor, working in central Scotland. He loves being active and outside, cycling, running, exploring the wild, and listening to music, dabbling on voice and trumpet, as well as being a keen ultimate frisbee player for many years!
This will be Ben’s first time on the PFMC team, having had daughters attending for many summers and invariably describing it as "the best week of the entire year".

Jimmy Thomson PFMC, PFMC+

*Support team, upper strings*
Jimmy is a singer and violinist, who attended both PFMC and PFMC+. After leaving sixth form, Jimmy took a gap year in Portsmouth where he was a choral scholar at the Cathedral and was a gap year assistant in a junior school. Jimmy is currently studying music at the University of York and playing ultimate Frisbee! In September, Jimmy is looking forward to being the Bass Choral Scholar at York Minster.

Freddie Cobb PFMC

*Support Team, brass*
Freddie is year studying music at Edinburgh Napier University. Jazz music is his favourite to play but he’s always up for trying anything! Buying instruments is his guilty pleasure. Freddie also loves making and eating food, especially with friends, family and the PFMC gang!

Esmee Loughlin Dickenson PFMC+

*Support team*
Esmée is a singer and graduate of the Royal College of Music in London. She started as a violinist aged 7, but has now decided to go all the way with opera! She is very excited to be on the team at PFMC+ for her second year! She is now looking forward to the freelance life and seeing what it brings!

Amy Heptinstall PFMC+

*Support team, flute*
Amy is a language and music teacher with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal & Opera study from the Royal College of Music, where she studied as both an RCM and Pidem scholar. Amy is also a Grade 8 ABRSM flautist and has spent the past two years working as an English language teaching assistant with France Éducation International in both primary and secondary schools. With experience working in both musical and educational spheres, Amy is beyond excited to work with the PFMC+ 2026 cohort and be part of the joyful music making as a member of the support team.

Lola Edgar PFMC

*Support team*
Lola loves to sing all the time and play guitar! She also loves all things camping and is so excited to see everyone at PFMC this year for another load of music, nature and fun. Lola is studying English & Philosophy at Glasgow University and is co-founder of the band Marigold along with fellow PFMC team member, Lia.

Charlie Shaw PFMC

*Support team*
Charlie is a violinist and violist who used to attend PFMC and PFMC+.
He is currently in his second year studying computing at Imperial College London, where he also plays viola in one of the orchestras.

Poppy Mattock PFMC

*Support team*
Poppy is has finished her 2nd year studying bassoon at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She loves playing in orchestras but has also played in the pit for musicals and Poppy is in the Conservatoire's folk ensemble which is lots of fun! She actually started playing flute when she was 7 and then switched to bassoon later on. She is an avid reader and usually has a book on her, but also can be caught doing any sort of craft, especially knitting or crochet most days.

Jessie Seymour

*Support team Volunteer PFMC & PFMC+*
Jessie loves all things nature and music-related! She is studying Sociology in the US, and does loads of songwriting and gigging in her free time. Having trained as a singer, Jessie is currently in a jazz vocal ensemble, and also plays the guitar. She has also worked with young people through outdoor adventure camps and volunteering. Jessie is super excited to combine her love of working with children and music in this creative setting.

Esme Savage

Support team Volunteer, PFMC & PFMC+

Esme is a 2nd year oboist currently at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She has a keen interest in community music and music education, and volunteers with Melody Music in Birmingham to support musicians with learning disabilities. She has previously played with the National Youth Orchestra and CBSO Youth Orchestra, but she also loves folk music too! In her free time she is a big craft fan and loves to make absolutely anything.